AuthorTopic: Shopping While Black--- Doesn't matter if you are a billionaire (Read 12864 times)

Posted June 22, 2005 -- Oprah Winfrey fell victim recently to a very common ailment among African Americans – Shopping While Black. Employees at Hermes, a famous luxury goods store in Paris known for its high-end purses, denied Winfrey entrance, saying they did not recognize the billionaire, according to The New York Daily News. The staffers said they thought Winfrey might be trouble, citing that they’ve had “a problem with North Africans lately.”

The Daily News spoke to a supposed “pal” of Oprah’s, who said, “They knew exactly who she was. They specificially said, ‘We know who you are.’”

The source also told The Daily News that Oprah arrived at the store near closing time, though there were still shoppers inside, to buy a watch for friend and singer Tina Turner.

Though Winfrey has reportedly spent thousands in the store, the paper reports that she has cancelled her latest order and even called Robert Chaves, president of Hermes America, to inform him that she will no longer patronize any of his stores.

When I worked in retail, we counted down the minutes til closing time. Screw you, Oprah and your late night shopping spree. My feet are killing me and I want to get home to my kids.

I think it is pretty clear that they did it because they've had “a problem with North Africans lately.” granted the French can be very anal about closing times, but I guarantee you if Tom Cruise had shown up they would have been fawning all over themselves to help him

When I worked in retail, we counted down the minutes til closing time. Screw you, Oprah and your late night shopping spree. My feet are killing me and I want to get home to my kids.

I think it is pretty clear that they did it because they've had “a problem with North Africans lately.” granted the French can be very anal about closing times, but I guarantee you if Tom Cruise had shown up they would have been fawning all over themselves to help him

Closin' time is closin' time to many in retail. I seriously doubt the validity of the North African statment (but I remember being told to keep a close eye on the black kids who'd shop in the stores I worked in because the stereotype is they shoplift), but what I can relate to is hours and hours on your feet, a babysitter on the clock, a growling belly, and the only thing on my mind... my warm bed. Did the people at Hermes think the Oprah group was a gang of North African smash and grabbers that hit stores after hours when security has gone home? Could be. Either way, just because she's Oprah, she shouldn't expect stores to stay open without an appointment. People have families, O, or can't you relate?

I think it is pretty clear that they did it because they've had “a problem with North Africans lately.” granted the French can be very anal about closing times, but I guarantee you if Tom Cruise had shown up they would have been fawning all over themselves to help him

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We're not accepting this CHANGE UP in the rules. Period. American presidents have been in the bed with organized crime, corporate pilferers, and the like for years. And all u want to put on this man is that his pastor said "Gotdamn America?" Hell, America.U got off pretty damn well, if you ask me...

psssst... I think it was because all the cases were locked, the register was counted and they wanted to go home. I also think one of her entourage lackeys made up the North African statement to take the heat off of them for not calling ahead.

so.. if all the cases and registers were closed then why were there still shoppers in there...

assuming that the shoppers that were in the store were considering buying a purse... then at the very least one cashier had to have a register open...

correct?

Logged

We're not accepting this CHANGE UP in the rules. Period. American presidents have been in the bed with organized crime, corporate pilferers, and the like for years. And all u want to put on this man is that his pastor said "Gotdamn America?" Hell, America.U got off pretty damn well, if you ask me...